Randy Stageberg Ready to Move Past Injury
Friday, January 28, 2011 | Gymnastics
Randy Stageberg was among select company, including 2008 Olympic medalists, at the U.S. National Training camp in Texas in 2008. But it was the dislocated right shoulder during a routine two-and-a-half-twist in November that humbled the current Gator sophomore and gave her a renewed sense of appreciation for the sport that has taken her so far.
Immediately following the injury, Stageberg — a 2008 Olympic Trials qualifier — was put on a six-month layoff from gymnastics. For three weeks, she couldn't run or even walk on a treadmill.
“That was a long time, it kinda felt like forever,” she said. “That was hard news to take in, when I heard how long it would be. It felt like the end of the world at the time.”
Stageberg felt embittered as a sort of hermit. The sport that shaped her personality was gone—and so in a sense, was her own personality. She was also denied distractions. She was home-schooled and missed out on the social scene to quell her mind from the injury, if only for a few fleeting hours.
It also meant even more hours at home.
Stageberg spent that time cooped up at home thinking about gymnastics and bottling up appreciation for the sport. While in the everyday groove of gym, she was unable to properly put into perspective her life and the exact measure of joy she got from competing.
In a sporting life full of rigorous flexibility training and pretzel-like body contortions, Stageberg had her share of nicks and tucks—but nothing as severe as her shoulder injury.
She took the rehab process slowly, to be sure not to risk further damage.
“I'm lucky, because I don't have problems with it now,” she said. But the timeline of her injury left her scrambling to get back into shape for her freshman year at UF.
The injury was so impactful on Stageberg's mechanics, she felt her first year left a lot to be desired. The doubts and frustrations filtered through her mind.
“I used to be able to do this so easy, why can't I do it now? Why is it taking so long to get this skill back?”
One of the early signs her second season will deliver more came in the form of an exhibition on vault — the first time she has performed the event since before the injury. This season, she's been a part of every balance beam lineup, placing among the top three in each outing including using a season-high 9.85 to take second in the 2011 opener. Stageberg also led off the last two Florida floor lineups.
That's not to say the injury is completely behind her.
“It's always in the back of my head,” she admitted. “It's just one of those things you have to block out. Just trust yourself and know there's nothing you can do — if it's going to happen, it's going to.”
Every now and then, she'll throw a pass on floor and feel her shoulder give a tug. Nervous? Sure. But she relies on the knowledge her shoulder is stronger than before and that everything was done medically to alleviate the injury.
Despite the trials and tribulations her right shoulder has put her through, Stageberg has persevered, physically and emotionally, to get back on track to the gymnastics prominence she was privy to before her injury.
“You're going to have some days that are a little bit off, but it's OK,” she said. “If you can push through those days, you can push through the good ones even better. This year I'm learning to enjoy every experience that I have here. I've found that passion for the sport again that I questioned when I was injured.”
By Eugenio Torrens, UF Communications
